Spring Training for the Rover Science Team

Just as baseball players must train together before the season starts, the science team for "Curiosity" must be in top shape to operate the rover's 10 science instruments when it lands on Mars in 2012.

The team recently limbered up by exploring a New Mexico site with a similar geologic history to what "Curiosity" may encounter on Mars. Team members stretched their intellectual muscles by performing exercises to discuss how they would operate the rover if it were at that site. They also debated which experiments would help them best understand the site.

Meeting in person also strengthened the international team's bond. Once the rover lands on Mars, a group that "plays well" together is not just a goal - it's mission critical. They must rely on each other's strengths and work through differences to make the best decisions for "Curiosity."

Lots of practice and team-building now will hopefully ensure a winning science "season" on Mars later!

Higher Res Images:

Full Size Still ImageThe Mars Science Laboratory's lead scientists hike up a hill in New Mexico to study a geological formation similar to what "Curiosity" might find on Mars.Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Full Size Still ImageJohn Grotzinger, Mars Science Laboratory's Project Scientist, discusses a series of lakebed sediments with the team. Behind him, Ken Edgett, gathers some closeup images of the rocks, just as his experiment will do on Mars. He is in charge of the color camera on the turret of the rover's robotic arm (the camera is called MAHLI or the Mars Hand Lens Imager).
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech